Seeding machine with seed delivery system

Abstract

A seeding machine with a seed meter and a seed delivery system for moving seed from a seed meter to a furrow formed in the soil. The delivery system has an endless member moving in a housing about pulleys to move seed from an upper opening in the housing to a lower discharge opening. In one embodiment, a loading wheel at the upper opening to the housing engages seed on a metering disk to move seed into the housing. The metering disk and housing can be arranged in planes parallel to one another.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A seeding machine, comprising:
 a seed meter having a metering disk with a plurality of apertures in a circular array adapted to adhere seeds to the metering disk to move the seeds along a seed path as the metering disk rotates; 
 a seed delivery system associated with said seed meter, said seed delivery system including:
 a housing for seed from said metering disk, the housing having a lower opening through which seed is discharged; 
 a single endless member within said housing disposed around a first drive pulley and a second idler pulley, said endless member engaging seed from the seed meter and moving the seed to said lower opening where seed is discharged from said housing; and 
 a loading wheel engaging seeds adhered to the metering disk and moving along the seed path and guiding the seed into the single endless member whereby the single endless member moves the seed to the lower opening. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The seeding machine of  claim 1  wherein the metering disk and loading wheel are driven by a common drive. 
     
     
       3. The seeding machine of  claim 1  wherein the metering disk defines a first plane and the endless member defines a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane and wherein the loading wheel lies substantially in the second plane. 
     
     
       4. A seeding machine, comprising:
 a seed meter having a metering disk with a plurality of apertures in a circular array adapted to adhere seeds to the metering disk to move the seeds along a seed path as the metering disk rotates; 
 a seed delivery system associated with said seed meter, said seed delivery system located transversely adjacent the metering disk and including:
 a housing for seed from said metering disk, the housing having a lower opening through which seed is discharged; 
 a single endless member within said housing disposed around a first drive pulley and a second idler pulley, said endless member engaging seed from the seed meter and in cooperation with the housing moving the seed to said lower opening where seed is discharged from said housing; and 
 a loading wheel adjacent the housing upper opening engaging seeds adhered to the metering disk and moving along the seed path. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The seeding machine of  claim 4  wherein the metering disk defines a first plane and the endless member defines a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane. 
     
     
       6. A seeding machine, comprising:
 a seed meter having a metering disk with a plurality of apertures in a circular array adapted to adhere seeds to the metering disk to move the seeds along a seed path as the metering disk rotates; 
 a seed delivery system associated with said seed meter, said seed delivery system including:
 a housing for seed from said metering disk, the housing having a lower opening through which seed is discharged; 
 a single endless member within said housing disposed around a first drive pulley and a second idler pulley, said endless member engaging seed from the seed meter, entrapping the seed between the endless member and the housing, moving the seed to said lower opening as the endless member moves about the first and second pulleys and discharging the seed from said housing through the lower opening; and 
 a loading wheel adjacent the housing upper opening engaging seeds adhered to the metering disk and moving along the seed path. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The seeding machine of  claim 6  wherein the metering disk defines a first plane and the endless member defines a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane. 
     
     
       8. The seeding machine of  claim 7  wherein the loading wheel is substantially in the second plane.